July 22, 2022

Regular Edition News Update #2022-25

Practice Downloading and Extracting EPB Software

If you have not done so already, BOE encourages election officials to familiarize themselves with the updated ePollbook software download steps, and to practice the download of EPB software before the upcoming election.  Jurisdictions are now required to establish EPB users in the EPB Inspector Tab of the Qualified Voter File, or to update the generic users presently listed for your jurisdiction with unique passwords prior to EPB download.  Failure to take this action will prevent the jurisdiction from downloading EPB files prior to the election.  There are two options to meet this requirement:

Establish at least two unique EPB users within the “EPB Inspector Tab” of the Qualified Voter File. Each user must have a unique username and password, and at least one must be identified as an administrative (“ADMIN”) user.  OR

The Bureau of Elections has pre-populated the “EPB Inspector Tab” with two generic users. To meet the export requirements, you may utilize these generic users as long as you set unique passwords and select one as an ADMIN user.

The usernames and passwords set up in this tab prior to export will be utilized to login to the epollbook on Election Day.  If your jurisdiction held a May 3 election, your established EPB Inspectors are retained in the QVF and this task does not have to be completed again.  To increase EPB download success and reduce the stress around this task, the Bureau suggests that all jurisdictions practice the export process prior to the day before the election. To facilitate this practice, we have organized the relevant pages of the Electronic Pollbook Manual in a “Practice Guide” in the eLearning Center.  Once your jurisdiction has successfully set up EPB Inspectors and downloaded the EPB software, it is important to practice uninstalling the software to establish a clean slate for the final download and install of EPB software for Election Day.  You can view the updated full EPB Manual for more complete operational instructions.

Overview of Current Voter Intimidation and Firearms Laws

We have updated our Overview of Current Voter Intimidation and Firearms Laws document on the Election Administrators page at Michigan.gov/elections. Clerks are advised to contact local law enforcement prior to election day to establish a point of contact in the event that assistance is required in addressing any matter that threatens a safe, secure, and orderly election.

Emergencies on Election Day

As Election Day approaches, it is important to review emergency procedures. Remember: County and local clerks cannot shorten or extend the polling hours unless or until directed to do so by the proper legal authority. If an emergency occurs within your jurisdiction that could potentially interrupt the voting process or that closes one or more polling places in your jurisdiction, take direction from local law enforcement officials and call the Bureau of Elections as soon as possible. If it is necessary to evacuate a polling place for any reason, instruct the precinct board to take possession of the pollbook before leaving.

If an emergency occurs outside your jurisdiction that raises questions about the possible interruption of the voting process or the suspension of the election, do not take action unless or until you receive direction from the Bureau of Elections. Polling hours cannot be extended beyond 8 p.m. without a court order.

Reminders:

Tabulators and some VATs will run for a significant amount of time without a power source if properly charged. Keep devices charging on Election Day!

Voting can continue in the event of a loss of power. Be sure to use auxiliary bins for ballots and paper backup pollbooks in the event that electronic equipment is not available. Flashlights should be available in each precinct, and if possible, you should make arrangements to have access to a generator if necessary.

In the event of a wide-scale emergency on Election Day, the Bureau of Elections will send an urgent News Update.

In this issue:

• Practice Downloading and Extracting EPB Software
• Requests for Corrections
• Overview of Current Voter Intimidation and Firearms Laws
• Registration within 14 Days of Election Day
• Emergencies on Election Day
• Reminder - Write-in Filing Deadline
• Message Regarding QVF Replicas
• Updated Managing Your Precinct on
  Election Day – Election Inspectors’ Precinct Manual

Requests for Corrections

• If you find multiple records in QVF that you believe are for the same person, please refer to QVF Manual Chapter 13 for submitting merge requests.
• If you come across a signature that does not appear to belong to the voter you can click the “BAD SIG.” button to initiate a request for Bureau staff to review and update the signature. Located next to the primary signature on a voter’s QVF screen, the bad signature button will open a text box that will allow you to enter in a message explaining why the signature appears to be incorrect. Once you have provided an explanation and submit the request, QVF staff will review and resolve these requests as they are received. For further details, please refer to the News Update sent on 10/1/2021 or QVF Manual Chapter 2 page 8.
• Other corrections needed to voter records, like CCD errors, deceased record – voter not deceased, or no signature available, should be emailed to ElectionData@michigan.gov with the specific voter record information.

Registration within 14 Days of Election Day

Monday was the final day to register through any method other than in person with the local clerk. The Michigan Voter Information Center page at Michigan.gov/Vote currently advises voters needing to register that they should do so in person at the local clerk’s office. Clerks should continue to look out for voter registration forms postmarked by the 15^th day before election day, which are timely mail registrations for the August election. If voters register by mail postmarked within 14 days of an election, the voter must be sent notice that the voter must register in person with the clerk in order to vote on August 2.

Reminder - Write-In Filing Deadline

The deadline for write-in candidates to file Declaration of Intent forms for the August election is 4 p.m. today. Because there will be at least one statewide write-in candidate, it is important to review the Write-In Section of the Managing your Precinct on Election Day - Election Inspectors' Precinct Manual. Clerks should remind precinct inspectors of the importance of writing down each name variation, along with the tallies of each, for valid write-in candidates. Clerks should not pre-fill in the tally sheet with write-in candidate names. Once the write-in candidate deadline passes, County Clerks and Election Directors will receive a memo with the names of candidates that have filed a Declaration of Intent with the Bureau of Elections.

Message Regarding QVF Refresh Replicas

In early 2019 the Bureau of Elections rolled out replicas for QVF Refresh to all 83 counties and some jurisdictions which met certain requirements.  Over the past few years, keeping the backup databases in sync with QVF has become more difficult.  The Bureau is in the process of improving the QVF Backup, moving away from the limited replica database and instead automatically generating and providing certain election data, such as EPBs and PDF Voter Lists, to counties and jurisdictions on a set election schedule.  We hope to have the new QVF Backup process in place for the upcoming November General Election.  Additional information will be provided as soon as details are determined regarding the decommission of existing replicas.

Updated Managing Your Precinct on Election Day – Election Inspectors’ Precinct Manual

The Bureau of Elections is in the process of printing an updated Managing Your Precinct on Election Day - Election Inspectors’ Precinct Manual. For now, the updated document is available on the Election Administrators’ page at Michigan.gov/elections and in the eLearning Center.

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